This might be jumping the gun, but it appears signs are looking up for the sports events industry in 2023. Admittedly, no one has a crystal ball, and prophets generally don’t focus on sports. However, after a strong 2022, it might be time to allow ourselves some more optimism going into the next year.
Of course, SportsEvents’ upcoming annual State of the Industry report will offer deeper insight into this question backed by hard data. In the meantime, there are some green flags from the previous year pointing to a good year for the industry ahead.
For example, take a look at the sports tourism industry’s performance in Kalamazoo, Mich. Not only did the city reach pre-pandemic levels of economic engagement from sports events in the city—it blasted off for a record year, earning close to $29 million in 2022.
Kalamazoo is hardly the only example of this trend. Independent research firm, Tourism Economics, found sports tourism brought a $146.5 billion total impact to the state of Florida from 2019-2021. While this doesn’t specifically reference 2022, one can extrapolate the how the general tourism uptick in 2022 might affect this long-term trend.
Similar trends can be found from all corners of the U.S. While it isn’t a crystal ball, SportsEvents’ report will see if event planners and destinations witness this trend bearing out into the future. Hopefully, the post-pandemic growth will continue onwards to a bigger and better equilibrium after the pandemic years.
If you are an event planner or represent a sports destination, please share your input in our 2023 State of the Industry survey. Your expertise is greatly appreciated!
